TERMINUS?..  Its location (see  map) was an  odd one  for the role  it wascalled upon to play in Galactic history, and yet as many writers have nevertired of pointing out, an inevitable one. Located on the very fringe of theGalactic spiral,  an only planet of an isolated  sun, poor in resources andnegligible in  economic value, it  was never settled in  the five centuriesafter  its   discovery,  until   the  landing  of   the  Encyclopedists....
It  was inevitable  that as  a new  generation grew, Terminus  would becomesomething more  than an appendage of  the psychohistorians of Trantor. Withthe Anacreonian revolt and the rise to power of Salvor Hardin, first of thegreat line of...
ENCYCLOPEDIA GALACTICALewis Pirenne  was busily engaged at his desk in  the one well-lit comer ofthe room. Work had  to be co-ordinated. Effort had to be organized. Threadshad to be woven into a pattern.
Fifty  years   now;  fifty  years  to   establish  themselves  and  set  upEncyclopedia  Foundation Number  One  into a  smoothly working  unit. Fiftyyears   to   gather   the   raw   material.   Fifty   years   to   prepare.
It had  been done. Five more  years would see the  publication of the firstvolume of the most  monumental work the Galaxy had ever conceived. And thenat ten-year  intervals ?regularly ?like  clockwork ?volume after volume.
And with  them there  would be supplements;  special articles on  events ofcurrent interest, until?
Pirenne  stirred  uneasily, as  the  muted  buzzer upon  his desk  mutteredpeevishly.  He had  almost forgotten  the appointment.  He shoved  the doorrelease and out of an abstracted comer of one eye saw the door open and thebroad   figure  of  Salvor   Hardin  enter.   Pirenne  did  not   look  up.
Hardin smiled  to himself.  He was in a  hurry, but he knew  better than totake  offense at Pirenne's  cavalier treatment  of anything or  anyone thatdisturbed him at his work. He buried himself in the chair on the other sideof the desk and waited.
Pirenne's stylus made the faintest scraping sound as it raced across paper.
Otherwise, neither motion nor  sound. And then Hardin withdrew a two-creditcoin from  his vest pocket.  He flipped it and  its stainless-steel surfacecaught  flitters of  light  as it  tumbled through  the  air. He  caught itand-flipped it  again, watching the flashing  reflections lazily. Stainlesssteel made  good medium of exchange  on a planet where  all metal had to beimported.
Pirenne  looked   up  and  blinked.  "Stop   that!"  he  said  querulously.
"Eh?""That infernal coin tossing. Stop it.""Oh." Hardin pocketed the metal disk. "Tell me when you're ready, will you?
I promised  to be back at the City Council  meeting before the new aqueductproject is put to a vote."Pirenne sighed  and shoved  himself away from  the desk. "I'm  ready. But Ihope you  aren't going  to bother me  with city affairs. Take  care of thatyourself,   please.    The   Encyclopedia   takes   up    all   my   time.""Have   you   heard   the   news?"   questioned   Hardin,   phlegmatically.
"What news?""The news that the  Terminus City ultrawave set received two hours ago. TheRoyal Governor  of the Prefect of Anacreon has  assumed the title of king.""Well? What of it?""It means," responded Hardin, "that we're cut off from the inner regions ofthe  Empire. We've  been expecting  it but  that doesn't  make it  any morecomfortable.  Anacreon stands  square  across what  was our  last remainingtrade route  to Santanni  and to Trantor  and to Vega itself.  Where is ourmetal to come from?  We haven't managed to get a steel or aluminum shipmentthrough in six months and now we won't be able to get any at all, except bygrace of the King of Anacreon."Pirenne   tch-tched   impatiently.    "Get   them &n............